Lay for narrow ware looms



June 26, 1951 E. R. HOLMES 2,553,438

LAY FOR NARROW WARE LOOMS Filed Feb. 18, 1950 s2 I VENTOR ELBRIDNGE R. HOLMES Q3041, WM

ATTORNEY Patented June 26, 1951 LAY FOR NARROW WARE LOOMS Elbridge R. Holmes, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 18, 1950, Serial No. 145,007

' 13 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in lays for narrow ware looms and it is the general object of the invention to provide shuttle block sup ports or backs which form part of the slot in which the rack rod reciprocates.

The usual type of narrow ware loom employs a rack rod reciprocated lengthwise of the lay beam and meshing with pinions which rock the shuttles back and forth between the shuttle blocks. In the past it has been customary to cut a slot in the top of a wood lay beam to receive the rack rod and then provide means for securing the shuttle block supporting backs to the beams without interfering with the rear wall of the rack slot. It is an important object of the present invention to provide a preferably metallic lay beam having an integral wall forming the front part of a rack rod slot and secure to the beam shuttle block back supports or units made with a second wall to form the back part of the slot.

The reeds of narrow ware looms are ordinarily located between the spaced shuttle blocks and have their top and bottom rails held fixed to the lay. It is another object of the present invention to make the shuttle block supporting units so that their aforesaid slot forming walls assist in positioning and holding in place the lower rails of the reeds.

It is desirable that the lays of narrow Ware looms be so constructed as to permit changing of the shuttle blocks to enable the loom under one condition to weave relatively narrow webs and under another condition to weave wider webs. In order to accomplish this result provision must be made for securing the shuttle blocks to the lay at different distances apart depending upon the width of the web being woven. It is another object of the present invention to provide a narrow ware lay beam so constructed that any one of several types of shuttle block supporting units can be attached to it, the different types of units being so made as to hold the shuttle blocks at different distances apart. This feature of the invention includes a lengthwise slot in the lay beam to receive nut members slidable along the slot and into which are tapped screws for clamping the shuttle block supports to the lay, thereby obviating the necessity for a large number of screw holes in the lay.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein two types of .shuttle block supporting units are shown,

Fig. 1 shows a front elevation of part of a narrow ware loom lay equipped with a supporting unit of a type to accommodate a relatively wide fabric,

Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged vertical sections on lines 2-2 and 3-3, respectively, Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation on a reduced scale looking in the direction of arrow 4, Fig. and

Fig. 5 is a perspective View as seen from the front of a second type of shuttle block supporting unit made to accommodate relatively narrow fabrics.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the lay beam 10, which is preferably made of extruded light weight metal, such as magnesium or aluminum,

is supported on lay swords one of which is indicated at II. Rotatable on the lay beam is a sheave 12 over which is trained a cable I3 for attachment to a rack rod designated generally at 14. Arranged along the lay are several shuttle blocks l 5 spaced from each other and provided with arcuate slots 16 and I 1 which receive the shuttles S. Each block [5 has rotatable therein a pinion l8 meshing with the under sides of the shuttles S which it drives. As the rack rod [4 reciprocates lengthwise of the lay each shuttle moves from one block to an adjacent block on one beat of the lay and then returns on the next beat. The lay is provided with reeds 19 located between the shuttle blocks and having top and bottom rails 2|] and 2 l, respectively.

Except for the particular form of the lay beam H] which will be described in more details hereinafter the matter thus far described may be of common construction and operate in usual manner.

The lay beam I0 has an elongated body 30 formed with an integral front primary rack rod guiding wall 3| upstanding from an upwardly facing flat rack rod supporting surface 32 behind the wall. The wall 3| and surface 32 may extend throughout the length of the lay beam, or for such length thereof as is needed to guide the rack rod I l. The surface 32 is in effect a rack rod support means and extends from wall 32 back to a rear face 33 on the beam body 3]].

As shown in Fig. 1 the shuttle blocks l5 are supported on a shuttle block back supporting unit 35 which in the present instance has three upstanding arms 33, 3'1 and 38 to each of which a shuttle block is fastened at 39 as shown in Fig. 1. The unit 35 is formed with an integral secondary rack rod guiding wall 40 running lengthwise of the beam and forward of the upright arms 36-38. Integral with and depending rearwardly from wall 40 is a rear bar 4| integral with the arms 36-38 and engaging the rear face 33. Wall 40 has an under surface 42 extending forwardly from bar 4| and overhanging, and preferably resting on, the rear part of surface 32. The walls 3| and 40 and that part of surface 32 between them define a rack rod receiving slot 43.

Wall 40 extends upwardly from the front part of the top surface 44 of bar 4!, and a series of aligned bars or reed bracing means 15, extending upwardly from the rear of surface Ml, are secured to the rear of the unit 35 by screws 46 tapped into the lower parts of arms 3E38, see Figs. 2 and 4. Wall 40 and bars 45 and the'surfaces 44 between them form upwardly opening pockets or slots 41 which receive the lower reed rails 21 Bars 45 could, if desired, be made in one piece. From this it will be seen that the wall 40 performs the dual function of completing the rear part of rack rod slot 43 and the forward part of reed rail slots 41.

The upper reed rails 23 may be held in position by a rear bar 50 extending behind the arms 36-33 and a series of holders 5! secured to the bar 50 between the arms by screws 52. The bar 50 is secured to the rear upper parts of the arms 3638 as at 53.

' The shuttle block supporting unit 35 shown in Fig. 1 has its arms 3638 relatively far apart to permit weaving a wide web. If it should be desired to weave narrowerwebs a unit 55, Fig. 5, may be used having its arms Elli-58 closer together and having an overall length less than that of unit 35 if it is to support but three shuttle blocks. Still other types of units may be used in which the upright arms are farther apart than shown, for instance, in Fig. 1. r

The units of whatever size or type will all be substantially as already described, and as many of them as are necessary will be arranged end for end along the lay. As shown in Fig. l the wall 40 and bar 4| extend to the right ofthe arm 36, as at 59, a distance sufficient to define a reed space with the adjoining unit which would be at the right of that shown in Fig. 5. Unit 55 has a similar extension as shown in Fig. 5.-

It is desirable that the shuttle block supporting units of different types andlength be secured to the lay by means which will not weaken the lay beam by a largenumber of screw or bolt holes, and in order to accomplish this result the lay beam body 38 has formed in the rear part thereof a T-shaped slot 6!), Fig. 3, which opens rearwardly through the face 33. Each unit will preferably have at least two elongated nuts '6! and 62 to receive screws 63 passing through the lower part of the bar 4! and tapped into the nuts, as suggested at 64. These nuts are also T-shaped and have a reasonably close but not too tight fit with the slot 60..

When assembling the various units on the lay beam they will first have attached to them the nuts BI, 62, which will then be slid endwise into the slot 36 from one end of the lay, the screws 63 being slack to permit free sliding of the units along the beam. When the units are in their proper location the screws 63 will be tightened so that the front of the bar 4! will be held tightly against the rear face 33 of the lay beam body 30.. This tightening of the screw 63 moves the wall 40 into position correctly spaced rearward of the wall 31 to define the rack rod slot 43. The bottom rails 2| of the reeds are then set down into slots 41, after which the holders 51%. are fastened in place.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the .11.-

vention sets forth simple means by which the shuttle block supporting units are made in such manner as to define the rear part of the rack rod slot 53. The wall 40 preferably rests on the rear part of the upwardly facing surface 32 of the lay beam body 33, thereby determining the Vertical position of the unit, but it will not be necessary in all forms of the invention to have the exact relationship shown in Fig. 3, since it will be sumcient if the unit is so formed as to provide a rear wall for the slot 43. It will also be seen that the wall 35 in addition to defining part of the rack rod slot, also forms part of the reed rail slots 41. The shuttle blocks ordinarily overhang the rack rod M as is shown in Fig. 2, and preferably rest on the tops of the walls 3| and 40. Also, the rear of the lay beam body 30 is slotted to receive fastening means including parts, such as nut members 8!], 5| which can slide along the slot and parts extending through the bar Al to clamp the unit to the, lay beam in any desired position, thereby obviating the necessity for drilling holes in the lay beam.

Having thus described the invention it will be seen that changes and modifications of the foregoing specific disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a lay for a narrow ware loom operating with a rack rod and shuttle blocks, a lay beam having formed on the upper part thereof an upstanding wall running lengthwise of the beam, a shuttle block supporting unit secured to the beam and formed with a wall rearward of the first wall, and means on the beam between the walls to support the rack rod, said walls and means forming a slot extending lengthwise of the beam to receive the'rack rod. I

2. In a lay for a narrow ware loom operating with a rack rod and shuttle blocks, a lay beam having an upright wall, a unit secured to the beam formed with a wall parallel to and rearward of the wall on the beam, rack rod support means on the beam between said walls forming with the latter a slot to receive the rack rod, and shuttle blocks secured to said unit above said slot.

3. In a lay for a narrow ware loom operating with a rack rod and shuttle blocks, a lay beam having an elongated body, a wall on the beam extending along and upwardly from said body, a unit secured to the back of the body having an upright wall rearward of and parallel to the wall on the body, said walls defining between them a slot for the rack rod, and shuttle blocks secured to the unit above said walls and slot.

4. In a lay for a narrow ware loom operating with a rack rod and shuttle blocks, a lay beam formed with a wall extending lengthwise of the beam and upstanding from a surface on the beam, a shuttle block supporting unit secured to the lay beam rearward of said wall to which shuttle blocks are secured, and a wall on said unit rearward of the first wall disposed lengthwise of the beam and forming with the latter and said surface a slot for the rack rod.

5. In a lay for a narrow ware loom operating with a rack rod and a reed having a bottom rail, a lay beam having an upright primary wall eX-- tending therealong, a shuttle block supporting; unit secured to the rear of the beam, reed bracing means extending along the rear of the unit, a secondary wall on the unit between the primary wall and said bracing means forming rear and front guides respectively for the rack rod with the primary wall and forming front and back reed rail supports respectively with said bracing means.

6. In a lay for a narrow ware loom operating with a rack rod and a reed having a bottom rail, a lay beam having rack rod supporting means and an upright primary wall extending therealong forward of said supporting means, a shuttle block supporting unit secured to the rear of the beam formed with an upwardly facing surface, a bar secured to the rear of the unit and surface, and a secondary wall on the unit between the primary wall and said bar forward of said surface and rearward of said supporting means and forming a slot for the rack rod with the primary wall and supporting means and forming a slot for the reed rail with said bar and said surface.

7. In a lay for a narrow ware loom operating with a rack rod and shuttle blocks, a lay beam formed with a rack rod supporting surface and a wall forward of the surface and upstanding therefrom, a unit secured to the back of the beam, a wall on said unit parallel to the wall on the beam and overhanging the rear part of said surface, said walls and the part of the surface therebetween forming a slot for the rack rod, and shuttle blocks secured to said unit above said slot.

8. In a narrow ware loom lay, a metallic lay beam having a lengthwise slot therein T-shaped in cross section and opening through a rear surface on the beam, a shuttle block supporting unit having a bar extending along said rear surface of the beam, and fastening means including a part fitting said slot and a part extending through said bar effective to secure the unit to said beam.

9. In a narrow Ware loom lay, a metallic lay beam having a lengthwise slot therein T-shaped in cross section and opening through a rear surface of the beam, a unit formed with a bottom bar and shuttle block supporting arms extending upwardly therefrom, a shuttle block on each arm, nut means T-shaped in cross section slidable along said slot, and securing means passing through the bar and into said nut means effective when tightened to clamp said bar to said rear surface of the beam, said securing means when loosened enabling the nut means and unit to slide lengthwise of the beam.

10. In a narrow ware loom lay, a metallic lay beam having a lengthwise slot therein 'T-shaped in cross section and opening through a rear surface of the beam, a unit formed with a bottom bar and shuttle block supporting arms extending upwardly therefrom, a shuttle block on each arm, nut means T-shaped in cross section slidable along said slot, a rack rod slot forming wall extending upwardly from said bar over said slot, and screw means passing through the bar and anchored in said nut means and effective when tightened to clamp the bar to said surface of the beam with said wall extending above said surface.

11. In a narrow ware loom lay, a metallic lay beam having a lengthwise slot therein T-shaped in cross section and opening through the rear of said beam, the latter having an upwardly facing surface forming part of a rack rod slot, a shuttle block supporting unit formed with a bar extending lengthwise of the beam, a rack rod slot forming wall extending upwardly from said bar and over said surface, and screw fastening means passing through the bar and anchored in said slot effective when tightened to clamp the bar against the beam with said wall extending over the rear part of said surface.

12. In a shuttle block supporting unit for a narrow ware loom lay beam having a rack rod, a lengthwise bar at the bottom of the unit for engagement with the beam, arms spaced along and extending upwardly from said bar to support shuttle blocks, and a wall forming part of the unit parallel to said bar to engage the rear of the rack rod.

13. In a shuttle block supporting unit for a narrow ware loom lay beam having a rack rod, a lengthwise bar at the bottom of the unit for engagement with the beam, arms spaced along and extending upwardly from said bar to support shuttle blocks, said bar having formed thereon an upwardly facing reed rail supporting surface between said arms, and a wall forward of said arms and surface extending upwardly from said bar, said wall being parallel to the bar to engage the rack rod and bottom rail of a reed resting on said surface.

ELBRIDGE R. HOLMES.

No references cited. 

